Note: This is the first of a three-part series examining the causes of the decline of the Angels’ farm system, and what measures they have taken to improve it.
As a result of the shallow farm system, each injury or disappointing performance from an Angels regular in the major leagues had the potential to be a crusher, because there was no safety net of minor league alternatives. Case in point: the Angels tried nine different third basemen to replace injured Anthony Rendon last year, and five of them were released.
They collectively weaved a story of flawed draft strategies, frequent shifts in philosophy and leadership, poor compensation for those in charge and sub-standard technology. Moreno might be at the root of the problem, but many others along the way have taken the wrong steps – well-meaning as they might have been – to dig out of this hole.
The Angels’ six are Trout, Ohtani, outfielder Kole Calhoun, infielder David Fletcher and pitchers Patrick Sandoval and Jaime Barria. The Angels signed Ohtani and Barria on the international market and traded for Sandoval as a minor leaguer. Further damaging their Latin American efforts, in 2009 the Angels fired international scouting director Clay Daniel after a Major League Baseball investigation into improprieties in the signing of prospects in Venezuela. There were allegations that scouts had skimmed bonus money intended for players, and that other players had falsified their ages in order to sign professional contracts.
Although the Angels began rebuilding their international presence under Dipoto – Barria was signed out of Panama in 2013 and lefty José Suarez out of Venezuela in 2014 – they still had a lot of catching up to do. Eddie Bane, the Angels’ scouting director from 2004 to 2010, showed a preference for high-risk, high-reward selections out of high school. Bane famously coordinated one of the most successful drafts in baseball history in 2009, when he hit on five of his first six picks: outfielders Trout and Randall Grichuk and pitchers Tyler Skaggs, Garrett Richards and Patrick Corbin. All but Richards were high schoolers.
With a “win now” team, Dipoto and Ric Wilson filled out their selections with what they believed were polished college players who could get to the big leagues faster, even if they lacked the upside to make them impact players.
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